New Mladić murals appear in Belgrade: “They give us Mladić to numb our hungry stomachs”

New murals honoring Ratko Mladić have appeared across Belgrade after the announcement of his death, including near the church where his remains are due to be displayed before his funeral.

One mural on a residential building in Požeška Street shows Mladić in military uniform beneath the messages “Thank you, General” and “Europe knows, but refuses to admit, that Ratko fought against terrorism.” A nearby billboard carries the message “Last farewell, General.” Similar murals have appeared near the market in Vidikovac, in Senjak and in Karaburma.

One of the best-known images is in Njegoševa Street in Vračar. Residents have repeatedly tried to remove it, while police and masked young men guarded it, N1 reported. The new displays have renewed a long-running dispute over how Mladić is represented in public space.

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They give us Ratko Mladić and false heroes to numb our hungry stomachs.

Aida Ćorović told N1 that the murals form part of a campaign to portray a man convicted of war crimes as a hero. She said political leaders had revived Mladić as a nationalist symbol after he had largely been forgotten by younger people. “They give us Ratko Mladić and false heroes to numb our hungry stomachs,” she said.

The Youth Initiative for Human Rights says more than 300 graffiti pieces and murals featuring Mladić have been painted across Serbia, including more than 250 in Belgrade. Mladić, who was convicted by the Hague Tribunal of genocide in Srebrenica, died in The Hague on Aug. 27. His funeral is scheduled for Sept. 7 at Topčider Cemetery, after his remains are displayed at the Church of St. Luke.

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When they brought Mladić out of mothballs, the authorities decided they needed such a 'hero' to further thicken nationalist public opinion.